This invention relates to cradles for electronic devices, and, more particularly, to cradles for holding two or more electronic devices in electrical communication with one another.
Although the prior art shows cradles for electronic devices, none are believed to illustrate the type of device disclosed and claimed. Specifically, businesses which employ non-cash transactions, such transactions including, but not limited to, credit cards, debit cards, pre-pay cards and the like, are generally required to install card swipe devices in combination with printers which are permanently fixed to a given location. The permanent fixation is required to allow electronic communication via a dedicated line with respective card issuers to transmit card transactions to said issuers.
As is well known in the art, card swipe devices read information from magnetic strips located on cards which includes information on the card holder for billing purposes. Printers generally provide original documents of the transaction for the business as well as a copy for the card holder.
The requirement for a permanently affixed location unduly restricts such sales. However, now that affordable portable computing equipment such as the Palm Pilot(copyright) device has become readily available, businesses have begun to take advantage of the ability of such devices to record and later transmit transactions. Thus, portable electronic devices were brought into electronic communication with card swipe devices and printers whereby a card transaction could be conducted in a remote location and subsequently transmitted to the issuer at a later time. The Palm Pilot(copyright) device does not require a land line but connects to the internet over the air via an antenna.
Such arrangements have found favor in environments such as trade shows and swap meets by avoiding the need to provide a land line and thereby restricting the swipe device by the need for permanent or semi-permanent affixation to that land line. In addition, in a more traditional business setting, the above connection saves costs by negating the need for a dedicated land line to transmit the transaction information. The transactions can be stored on the portable electronic device and later transmitted whenever convenient for the business.
While the electronic communications described above are known in the art, ease of use has been somewhat deficient. The combination of devices can be difficult to carry around as a unit. This requires the user to assemble and disassemble whenever a move is desired. Thus, there is a need for a carrying device which simplifies this moving task. The present invention meets this need.
Some cradle devices are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,546 entitled xe2x80x9cCradle Assembly for Portable Computing Devices and Methodxe2x80x9d which issued on May 12, 1998 to Clark et al. shows a cradle assembly which supports a portable electronic device and may also include electrical connections to said device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,996956 entitled xe2x80x9cMounting Platform for an Electronic Devicexe2x80x9d which issued on Dec. 7, 1999 to Shawver provides a mounting platform for an electronic device, the mounting platform having a stylus for actuating the controls of the device mounted thereon.
None of the references cited disclose the present invention.
It is an object of this invention to provide cradle for supporting two or more electronic devices in electrical communication with each other.
It is another object of this invention to provide a cradle for supporting a portable electronic device in electrical communication with a card swipe for facilitating credit card transactions.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.